Profile

Areas of expertise

• Impact of reproductive health matters on individual and family life over the lifespan, in particular where this involves donor assisted conception and surrogacy arrangements
• Psycho-social aspects of teenage and young adult cancer experience, including cancer-related fertility issues
• Knowledge transfer
• I also have close links with NGOs in Uganda and Pakistan working variously on HIV/AIDS and community development work with women and children

Academic biography

One key strand to my research has been to further understanding of personal experience, especially in the fields of teenage and young adult cancer and of donor assisted conception. There is growing awareness of the psycho-social implications both of surviving cancer treatment (including where this results in fertility impairment) and of new family forms resulting from reproductive technologies. I have conducted several studies that attempt to extend such understanding by, for example, looking at the transition to adulthood following cancer, comparative experiences of cancer-related fertility impairment across ethnic and cultural contexts, parents’ intentions regarding openness with their donor conceived children and the experience of making Parental Orders following surrogacy. I was also fortunate enough to visit Australia and New Zealand in the summer of 2010, funded by The Nuffield Foundation, to study their approach to gametes donor linking and donor register services. A report on my visit is available: Crawshaw - Report on Australia and New Zealand Trip Jan 2011 (PDF , 355kb).

The other main strand to my work is knowledge-informed practice. For many years, I ran a regional ‘arm’ of Making Research Count, working with social services and health to enable them to make more effective use of findings from research and from experiences of professionals, service users and carers. Here at York we developed a unique model, informed by social work education experiences and systemic approaches. Understanding how individual practitioners integrate new knowledge into their practice has aided understanding of similar processes at team, agency and inter agency level. I retain a close interest in fieldwork practice teaching.

Professional activities

• Chair of British Association of Social Workers multi-agency group PROGAR (Project Group on Assisted Reproduction)
• National Adviser to UK DonorLink, the Voluntary Information Exchange and Contact Register for adults genetically related through donor conception
• Editor, Practice Guide Series for British Infertility Counselling Association

Research

Current and recently concluded research include:

• A Cancer Research UK funded comparative study of the experiences of adults from South Asian and White populations of living with cancer-related fertility impairment with Professor Karl Atkin and Dr Sangeeta Chattoo of the Dept of Health Sciences here at the University of York. One of the outputs of this was a conference organised by the University of York: Looking beyond cancer ‘survivorship’: meeting the needs of a diverse, multi-ethnic society.

• A study of the Role of Children’s Guardians in Parental Orders applications following the use of surrogacy arrangements with Professor Olga van den Akker and Dr Satvinder Purewal of the Department of Psychology at Middlesex University: The experiences and views of Parental Order Reporters on surrogacy arrangements - Summary for professionals (PDF , 208kb)
  

In addition, I am currently engaged in:

• Research based discussions across social work, psychology, ethics and law disciplines with regard to information-searching experiences of donor conceived adults seeking genetic relatives and the meaning to them of genetic relatedness.
• Developing an evaluation study of the effectiveness of Dept of Health funded Preparation for Parenthood workshops run by DC Network for those contemplating using donor conception fertility treatment.
• Developing a proposal for an intervention study intended to learn more about how to improve the ‘later life’ information provided by gamete donors for any children born as a result of their donation.

Publications

Recent publications

Crawshaw, M., Purewal, S., and van den Akker, O. (2011) Research study by University of York and Middlesex University: The experiences and views of Parental Order Reporters (PORs) on surrogacy arrangements. Key Findings (PDF , 208kb)  

Crawshaw, M. (2011) ‘BBC documentary shows why we need UK DonorLink’, BioNews Commentary, 30th August 2011.

Blyth, E. and Crawshaw, M. (2011) ‘Countdown begins for ending donor anonymity in British Columbia: Lessons for us all?’ BioNews Commentary, 6th June 2011. 

Crawshaw, M. and Balen, R. (2011) ‘Commentary on ‘Sperm preservation in children: A prescription for consistency with both child protection and criminal law’ by Wheeler, et al.’, Clinical Risk, 17: 58-9.
 
Crawshaw, M. (2011) ‘Donor registers and donor linking services: What can the UK learn from Australia and New Zealand?’, Journal of Fertility Counselling, 18(1): 41-45.

Crawshaw, M. and Adams, D. (2011) ‘Rising from the Ashes: Two countries, two reviews of donor conception services - Australia leads the way’ BioNews Commentary, 21 February 2011. 

Crawshaw, M. (2011) Report on trip to Australia and New Zealand July to September 2011 to study Donor Register and Donor linking services. Available online (PDF , 355kb)

Blyth, E., Crawshaw, M., Frith, L., Jones, C. and Martin, N. (2011) ‘No ‘brownie’ points for ill-conceived Donation Review’, BioNews Commentary, 31 January 2011. 

Crawshaw, M. and Adams, D. (2010) ‘The ‘donated’ generation – action now not formal apology later’, BioNews Commentary, 29 November 2010.

Blyth, E., Crawshaw, M., Frith, L., Jones, C., and Speirs, J. (2010) ‘Wither the HFEA and the fate of donor registers’, BioNews Commentary. 23 August 2010.

Crawshaw, M. and Balen, R. (eds) (2010) Adopting after Infertility – Messages from Practice, Research and Personal Experience. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Crawshaw, M. and Balen, R. (2010) ‘Where infertility arises from a prior health condition – Fit to adopt?’, in Crawshaw, M. and Balen, R. (eds) Adopting after Infertility – Messages from Practice, Research and Personal Experience. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, pp 55-68.

Crawshaw, M. (2010) ‘Assessing infertile couples for adoption: Just what does ‘coming to terms with infertility’ mean?’ , in Crawshaw, M. and Balen, R. (eds) Adopting after Infertility – Messages from Practice, Research and Personal Experience. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. pp 68-89.

Crawshaw, M. and Sloper, P. (2010) ''Swimming against the tide' - the influence of fertility matters on the transition to adulthood or survivorship following adolescent cancer', European Journal of Cancer Care, 19, 610-620.

Crawshaw M, Glaser A, Hale J and Sloper P (2009) ‘Male and female experiences of having fertility matters raised alongside a cancer diagnosis during the teenage and adult years’, European Journal of Cancer Care 18, 381-390.

Crawshaw M. (2009) ‘The psychological and psycho-social issues surrounding sperm banking’ In Pacey A.A. and Tomlinson M. (eds) Sperm Banking: Theory and Practice Cambridge, Cambridge University Press pp 41-57

Crawshaw M ‘Assisted conception: threat or opportunity’  Squire C (ed)(2009) The Social Context of Birth Second edition Abingdon, Radcliffe Medical Press pp 271-289

Crawshaw M., Glaser A, Hale J and Sloper P (2008) ‘Young males’ experiences of sperm banking following a cancer diagnosis – a qualitative study’ Human Fertility Vol 11 No 4 pp 238-245

Crawshaw M and Marshall L (2008) ‘Practice experiences of running UK DonorLink, a voluntary information exchange and contact register for adults related through donor conception’ Human Fertility Vol 11 No 4 pp 231-237

McEwen J., Crawshaw M., Liversedge A., and Bradley G (2008) ‘Promoting change through research and evidence-based practice: a Knowledge Transfer Partnership project between a university and a local authority’ Evidence and Policy Vol 4 No 4 pp 393-404

Crawshaw M. (2008) ‘Prospective parents’ intentions regarding disclosure following the removal of donor anonymity’ Human Fertility Vol 11(2) pp 95-100

Crawshaw M.A. (2008) “What about my 'right' to choose?" Young people with physical impairments exercising reproductive choice' In Bockenheimer-Lucuis G., Thorn P., and Wendehorst C. Umwege zum eigenen Kind: Ethische und rechtliche Herausforderungen an die Reproduktionsmedizin 30 Jahre nach Louise Brown (‘The Long way to having an own child: Ethical and legal problems 30 years after Louise Brown), Göttinggen, Göttingen University Publishers pp 185-198

Blyth E., Frith L. and Crawshaw M. (2008) 'Ethical objections to sex selection for non-medical reasons’  Reproductive BioMedicine Online Vol 16 Suppl 1 pp41-45

Crawshaw M.A., Glaser A.W. and Pacey A.A. (2007) 'The use of pornographic materials by adolescent male cancer patients when banking sperm in the UK: Legal and ethical dilemmas' Human Fertility Vol 10 No 3 pp159-163

Crawshaw M.A., Blyth E.D. and Daniels K.D. (2007) 'Past semen donors' views about the use of a voluntary contact register' Reproductive BioMedicine Online Vol 14 No 4 pp411-417

Crawshaw M and Sloper P (October 2006) A qualitative study of the experiences of teenagers and young adults when faced with possible or actual fertility impairment following cancer treatment ISBN: 1 872159 36 2 Department of Social Policy & Social Work, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK; SPSW Publications.

Wincott E and Crawshaw MA (2006) ‘From a social issue to policy: social work's advocacy for the rights of donor conceived people to genetic origins information in the UK’ In Social Work in Health Care Vol 43 no 2/3 p53-72

Balen R and Crawshaw M (eds)(2006) Sexuality and Fertility in Ill Health and Disability: From early adolescence to adulthood London, Jessica Kingsley

Shaw N., Crawshaw M., Glaser A., Morgan S. and Pacey A. (2005) ‘The views of adolescents who have had cancer treatment about fertility and fertility preservation: a UK perspective’ Pediatric and Blood Cancer 145 (4): 581

Crawshaw M and Wates M (2005) ‘Mind the gap – a case study for changing organisational responses to disabled parents and their families using evidence based practice’ Research Policy and Planning Vol 23 no 2 pp111-122

Crawshaw M and Hale J (2005) ‘Sperm storage and the adolescent male: A multi-disciplinary approach’ Human Fertility September, 8(3) 175-176

Daniels K, Blyth E, Crawshaw M and Curson (R 2005) ‘Short Communication: Previous Semen Donors and their views regarding the sharing of information with their offspring’ Human Reproduction Vol 20, No 6, pp1670-1675

Blyth ED, Crawshaw MA and Daniels K (2004): ‘Policy formation in gamete donation and egg sharing in the UK – A critical appraisal’ Social Science and Medicine 59(2004) 2617-2626

Glaser AW Phelan L, Crawshaw M, Jagdev S, JK Hale (2004) ‘Fertility preservation in adolescent males with cancer in the United Kingdom: A survey of practice’ Archives of Disease in Childhood, 89, 736-737

Crawshaw MA, Glaser AW, Hale JK and Sloper P (2004) ‘Professionals’ Views on the issues and challenges arising from providing a fertility preservation service through sperm banking to teenage males with cancer’ in Human Fertility, March 2004, 7(1):23-30

Feast J and Crawshaw M (2004) ‘Work in Progress’ ‘Long term implications for families formed by surrogacy or donor-assisted conception Adoption & Fostering Vol 28 Number 1 2004 pp73-75

Bell M, Crawshaw M and Wilson K (2202) Adoption Reform, Diversity and Delay in Adoption and Fostering Vol 26 No 3 pp 8-18

Crawshaw M (2002) ‘Disabled People’s Access to Social Work Education: Ways and Means of Promoting Environmental Change’ In Social Work Education­ Vol 21, No 5, 503-514

Blyth E, Crawshaw M, Haase J and Speirs J (2001) Managing Genetic Origins Information in third party assisted conception: lessons from adoption Child and Family Social Work, Vol 6 Issue 4 295-304